Mental Health in Schools

Advice

The purpose of this page is to give an overview of the role of schools in promoting the mental health and wellbeing of students and to outline where relevant guidance and programs can be found.

Summary

• Schools provide a positive and nurturing environment for students to develop confidence, social skills and healthy life habits.
• Schools also play a role in identifying signs of mental health issues, providing early support, and referring students to health services.
• The department has created the Schools Mental Health Fund and evidence-based Menu, which aims to give schools the confidence to select, purchase and implement mental health and wellbeing programs that best meet the needs of their students, while also connecting with specialist services where required.
• The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative has been expanded in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. By 2026, every government and low-fee non-government primary school will receive funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) to implement a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
• The Mental Health Practitioners in Secondary Schools initiative provides vital support to all Victorian government secondary and specialist schools. Every Victorian government secondary school and specialist school with secondary-aged enrolments is now funded to employ an ongoing, school-based MHP.
• The Mental health and wellbeing toolkit has been developed to support schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students. It links to existing department resources, guidance and programs.

Details

Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu

In recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, the department has created the Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu.

Schools will receive funding to purchase items from the Schools Mental Health Menu. The Menu is an evidence-based list of endorsed programs, staff and other supports that will be used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students in line with the individual needs and priorities of the school.

For detailed guidance and further information, refer to the department’s Mental Health Fund and Menu Policy.

The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative

The department has expanded the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The initiative will be implemented across Victoria over a staged rollout between 2023 to 2026, to provide funding for every government and low-fee non-government primary schools to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL), with funding allocation based on school campus enrolments.

MHWLs are employed as Victorian Institute of Teaching registered teachers and work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff, and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.

Schools should recruit one MHWL per campus, however may consider recruiting 2 MHWLs if a job-share arrangement is needed. Schools may recruit more than 2 MHWLs by exception and after consultation with key regional and central departmental staff.

MHWLs will receive evidence-based training in mental health literacy, supporting student need, and building school capacity, and will receive ongoing professional development through communities of practice. The training program is developed and facilitated by the University of Melbourne.

For detailed guidance and further information, refer to the Guidance tab: Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative.

Mental Health Practitioners in Secondary Schools

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) in Secondary Schools initiative provides vital support to all Victorian government secondary and specialist schools. The MHP initiative promotes positive mental health and wellbeing and address mental health concerns where they arise. Every Victorian government secondary school and specialist school with secondary-aged enrolments is now funded to employ an ongoing, school-based MHP.

The MHP role provides a valuable extra resource to school's existing wellbeing teams and supports schools by:

• contributing to whole-school approaches to mental health prevention and promotion
• providing direct counselling support and other early intervention services to students
• coordinating supports for students with complex needs.

For further information, refer to the department’s Mental health practitioners in secondary schools webpage.

Mental health and wellbeing toolkit

The Mental health and wellbeing toolkit includes practical and accessible information for schools, parents and students on wide range of topics to support student mental health and wellbeing.

The toolkit includes guidance on:

• wellbeing in the classroom
• wellbeing planning and leadership
• school-wide mental health and wellbeing promotion
• early intervention and cohort specific support wellbeing support for students
• crisis and targeted support for students with the most complex mental health needs
• mental health practitioners in secondary and specialist schools
• Headspace counselling for secondary students.

For further information on available mental health and wellbeing supports, refer to:

• Map of key mental health and wellbeing support (PDF)
• Map of key mental health and wellbeing support (DOCX)

Related policies or advice

• Disability Inclusion Funding and Support
• Doctors in Secondary Schools
• Respectful Relationships (program)
• Safe Schools (program)
• Self-Harm and Attempted Suicide Response
• Student Engagement
• Student Support Services
• Suicide Response (Postvention)

Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred for treatment, care, and support. The department has expanded the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The MHiPS initiative provides funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) in every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. The initiative will be implemented across Victoria over a staged rollout between 2023 to 2026.

Mental health and wellbeing leaders

MHWLs are qualified teachers registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, who work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff, and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community. This includes:

• building the capacity of school staff, in particular classroom teachers, to identify and support students with mental health concerns in the classroom
• supporting the school to create clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention
• coordinating targeted mental health support for students by working with regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers, and external agencies.

The MHWL role focuses on mental health and wellbeing promotion, prevention and early intervention, rather than the implementation of clinical or allied health approaches.

MHWLs receive training from the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, and professional development through continued learning communities. Further information is provided on the Resources tab.

School leaders are supported to implement MHiPS by dedicated regional mental health branches.

Implementation schedule

The MHiPS initiative will be expanded to all government primary schools and low-fee non-government primary schools based on their areas between 2022 and 2026.

The rollout schedule is:

• 2023: Barwon, Brimbank Melton, Goulburn, Hume Merri-bek, Outer Gippsland
• 2024: Mallee, Ovens Murray, Southern Melbourne, Western Melbourne
• 2025: Inner Gippsland; Loddon Campaspe, Outer East Melbourne, Wimmera South West
• 2026: Bayside Peninsula, Central Highlands, Inner East Melbourne, North East Melbourne

From 2023, all MHiPS Pilot schools will participate in the statewide MHiPS initiative. The pilot has now concluded.

The dedicated regional mental health branches support school leaders to implement the initiative by:

• providing advice about recruiting and onboarding a MHWL
• creating links with schools across their area
• identifying school needs, training, and support requirements.

Schools funding

Each government school campus will receive funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) at the Classroom Teacher Range 2 salary mid-point, plus on-costs.

Each school campus' FTE allocation will vary between 0.5 to 1.0 FTE, based on primary enrolments:

• 1 to 299 campus enrolments – 0.5 FTE
• 300 to 599 campus enrolments – 0.6 FTE
• 600 to 749 campus enrolments – 0.7 FTE
• 750 to 849 campus enrolments – 0.8 FTE
• 850 to 949 campus enrolments – 0.9 FTE
• 950+ campus enrolments – 1.0 FTE

Schools receive their MHWL funding via the Student Resource Package (SRP) at the start of Term 1 and are expected to recruit their MHWL for Term 1.

All schools should recruit one MHWL per school campus, however may consider recruiting 2 MHWLs if a job-share arrangement is needed. Schools may recruit more than 2 MHWLs by exception and after consultation with key regional and central departmental staff.

Schools with multiple campuses receive funding per campus, based on primary enrolments. These schools may choose to combine the FTE of multiple campuses and employ a MHWL to work across the campuses or employ MHWLs at each of their funded campuses.

Government schools are required to spend their MHiPS funding in the calendar year it is received and acquit the MHWL salary expenditure in eduPay. The department’s Credit Carryover Policy applies to any unspent MHiPS credit funding remaining at the end of each calendar year. For more information on the Credit Carryover Policy, refer to: Student Resource Package – Managing the Budget: Credit Carryover Policy.

Non-government schools receive funding of 0.4 FTE at the Classroom Teacher 2-4 salary to employ an MHWL.

The MHWL will be funded to coordinate and promote whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing in their school. They will not be required to have a teaching role alongside their role as the MHWL and must be provided dedicated time out of the classroom in line with the allocated FTE to implement the Mental Health in Primary Schools model.

Schools that participated in the Primary Welfare Officer initiative

The Primary Welfare Officer (PWO) initiative is transitioning to the MHiPS initiative from 2023.

Schools transitioning from the PWO initiative to the MHiPS initiative, in line with the above area rollout schedule, will receive funding under the MHiPS funding line in the SRP.

Former PWO schools will receive the higher of either their PWO funding in the year prior to transitioning to MHiPS or their MHiPS funding as calculated above.

Schools that participated in the Mental Health in Primary Schools Pilot

The MHiPS Pilot has now concluded. Former government pilot schools will transition from their pilot funding allocation to the MHiPS statewide expansion funding model, in line with other schools participating in the initiative.

For more information on the funding allocation model see the MHiPS SRP guide.

For specific information about your school’s funding allocation contact mentalhealth@education.vic.gov.au

Mental health and wellbeing leaders recruitment

• Government schools must comply with standard school recruitment policies and are expected to advertise for the MHWL position via Recruitment Online.
• Catholic schools are required to recruit in line with their regular CECV Diocesan processes. Please liaise with your Diocesan Employment Relations Unit regarding the appointment of staff.
• Refer to the Resources tab for detailed information and resources on the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative, including detailed questions and answers, fact sheets and an example position descriptions template.

Resources

For specific resources, refer to the overview page.

Mental health reforms funding acquittals

Refer to the Mental health reforms funding acquittals quick guide (DOCX) for information about reporting and acquitting the funding schools receive under mental health reform programs.

The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative

• Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative factsheet (PDF)
• Mental health and wellbeing leader position description template (DOCX)
• Mental Health in Primary Schools – questions and answers for government primary schools (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Mental Health in Primary Schools – questions and answers for non-government primary schools (DOCX)
• Mental Health in Primary Schools – starter pack (DOCX)
• Mental Health in Primary Schools – non-government schools starter pack (DOCX)
• Mental Health in Primary Schools: instructions for reporting salary expenditure (DOCX) – provides guidance to schools on reporting Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader salary expenditure
• Mental Health in Primary Schools – evaluation activities (DOCX)

Mental health and wellbeing leaders training

Mental health and wellbeing leaders (MHWLs) are provided training by the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI).

Currently, this includes 3 training modules:

• Module 1: Mental Health Literacy
• Module 2: Supporting Emerging Needs
• Module 3: Building School Capacity

MHWLs will be provided with access to these modules as part of the training. For MHWLs who can’t attend virtual/face to face training on the day, the Faculty of Education will provide links to the training so MHWLs can access the training in their own time.

Map of key mental health and wellbeing support

This map sets out key mental health and wellbeing supports for students in Victorian government schools. Supports are broken into the three tiers: universal, early intervention and cohort specific, and, targeted support.

• Map of key mental health and wellbeing support (DOCX)
• Map of key mental health and wellbeing support (PDF)

Student Wellbeing Boost

The Australian Government’s Student Wellbeing Boost provides one-off funding to schools to address the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of Australian students.

Schools must spend their Boost funding on mental health and wellbeing activities, which may include:

• extra school mental health professionals, such as psychologists and school counsellors
• camps, excursions, sporting and social activities that improve students’ wellbeing
• proven student wellbeing, student engagement and mental health initiatives.

Supporting guidance has been developed to help schools spend their funding by 31 March 2024:

• Student Wellbeing Boost – guidance for Victorian government schools (DOCX)
• Student Wellbeing Boost – guidance for Victorian government schools (PDF)

Supporting students following the Voice to Parliament Referendum

For guidance on how schools can support students, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, following the Voice to Parliament Referendum, refer to the Voice to Parliament information for schools factsheet (DOCX).

School holiday student mental health supports

Mental health support, resources and advice are available for students and families to access over the school holidays. Schools can provide parents, carers, families and students with two fact sheets to:

• support positive mental health and wellbeing of students
• identify signs students may need mental health support
• access available support.

These fact sheets are available in 19 different languages.

To access the factsheets, including translated versions, visit: Mental health supports for students over school holidays.

Information for parents, carers and families

This fact sheet provides tips and resources for parents, carers and families of children and young people in their care over the school holidays. This includes services to reach out to if more support for them is needed.

Information for students

This fact sheet provides tips on looking after your mental health and wellbeing over the school holidays and information on the services available to you if you need to reach out for support.

School Update articles relevant to this topic (login required)

• New mental health and wellbeing resources available for schools – published 16 July 2020
• Mental health support and resources for students – published 11 August 2020
• Mental health and wellbeing has been a key priority for the Department throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – published 11 August 2020
• Supporting student mental health and wellbeing – published 15 September 2020
• Mindfulness resources for VCE including VCE Vocational Major students – published 27 October 2020
• Mental health support for students on the school holidays – published 8 December 2020